Forgive and be Free
Years ago a person slandered my husband and as a result had a negative impact on my husband, our son and many others indirectly. While I found out that person had a terrible experience as a child which was never dealt with but that didn’t mitigate the harm he had caused my family. I harbored a resentment for years. I was angry, frustrated, and tense whenever I saw him or thought of what had happened. I had spent, well wasted really, so much time holding on to something that my husband and son had let go of long ago.
After a few years, I was prompted to write the man a letter telling him I forgave him. While he might not think he needed forgiveness, I needed to forgive him for me. I told myself that I would not expect a response and that I would let all the pain, time, energy, anger go after I mailed the letter. I did just that. I felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off my shoulders. There was a physical change in me.
While I would never forget what he had done, I didn’t need to hold on to the energy it took in living with the anger he had caused. I was free to use my energy more productively.
Forgiving others is about you and not about the offender. Holding on is a waste of your time and energy. You can’t control how others act and react but you can decide to forgive and be free.
May your path be full of forgiveness so you are able to enjoy the journey!